Man will spend the rest of his life in prison for producing child sex abuse materials

ANTHONY, Texas (KVIA) -- An Anthony, Texas man will spend the rest of his life in prison on production of child sexual abuse material charges.

Court documents state that Mark Martinez, 57, who had been convicted of the aggravated sexual assault of a prepubescent child in 1991, produced child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), violated the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and committed a sex offense as a registered sex offender. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years in federal court in El Paso today.

Officials say Martinez used a group on the social messaging app Kik to distribute the CSAM. FBI agents used a search warrant to seize his electronic devices in August 2022. They found CSAM images and videos on the devices. They found photos of a child inside his home taken the month before.

Officials issued a criminal complaint and arrest warrant for Martinez in October 2022. He had already run away to Mexico. Officers arrested him at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico when he tried to reenter the U.S. in March 2023. He pleaded guilty in August 2024.